Tamers Forever 01: CardORama!
by Daneel Rush
Summary: Four months after DReaper, a Digimon Card Game Competition is being organized. Now that Takato and Rika decided to work together, will things go as they expect them to be? Rukato all the way!
1. With The Help Of A Gogglehead...

DR (That is me!): Ok, I'm in the middle of finals, and two months of complete leisure are around the corner (even though the possibility of studying during holidays is imminent). If you thought the "Chosen" series would keep me busy…well, you're wrong! Yes, yes, I've got to finish "The Dragon Emperor" and "The Last Sorcerer", and then I've got to write at least another two stories to put a good ending to that series, but, hey! I've got this cool idea I've been dying to do, so, here it is, a…

Takato/Rika: …Rukato story!

DR: Yeah, what they said…anyway, now that my two main characters are here, why don't we start this already? And by the way, now that you are here, why don't you do the disclaimer?

Rika: *sighs* Daneel Dumb here doesn't own Digimon, which is a good reason to wake up with a smile on your face every day.

Takato: *laughs until my death glare shuts him up* Oh! And he wants to dedicate this story (and the ones yet to come) to all of the Rukato fans out there, especially to the best Rukato writers he has read. This fic is especially dedicated to Digidestined of Courage…

Rika: …formerly known as Tai Kamiya…

Takato: …and Flamegaruru.

DR: Here we go! And Rukato forever!

Takato/Rika: Forever…

**CARD-O-RAMA!**

**Chapter 1**

**_With the Help of a Gogglehead…_**

****

Takato Matsuki took off his goggles before the warm sun of summer melted them (or his face, who knows?). As I'm gonna tell you a story about him, I'd better remind you who this guy is. The problem is, everybody knows who he is, which can be kind of annoying…anyway, that day, as he did most of the days that summer, he was on his way to the comic store, to buy some new Digimon Cards. Being such a… well, pathetic player, he had to get new cards with cash, rather than with skill. But, obviously, Takato didn't care about that. After all, if those card players one day saw a real Diaboromon, they'd probably freak out. But, would he? Of course not! He is a Digimon Tamer! Well…used to be…

"Gee, life can really suck…"

After a fast finger-count, Takato realized it had been almost four months since the final separation. Everything he could ever be proud of disappeared that day, the day Guilmon left him. Now, he was nothing but a normal 12-years-old kid, and he hated that. But all of those thoughts disappeared the moment he crossed the main door, and walked inside the store, amazed by the new collection of Digimon Cards, Option Cards, Takato was finally in heaven. But what really got his attention was this huge poster on one of the walls.

_Join now! The Ultimate Digimon Card Game competition! Kids from all of __Japan__; take your cards and win some serious cash! (Well, it wasn't exactly like that, but you get the idea…)_

"Wanna join?" The man in charge of the store, who will be from now referred as…man in charge of the store, said. Takato just sighed in frustration, as the thoughts he had left outside of the store finally made their way in.

"I don't stand a chance…"

"The prize is 100000 yen, my friend." The guy said replied. Takato's answer?

"Who-ho-ho-whoa! Are you serious? Man, that's…that's…one hundred thousand!"

Takato's mind immediately began to work, thinking about what our goggle-headed friend would do with that amount of money. And that takes us to Takato's second, yeah, second, problem…

*In Takato's weird and psychedelic mind*

_Takato was wearing a extremely expensive, extremely cool Armani suit: black pants, black tie, black jacket, white shirt. In front of him, an incredibly gorgeous woman wearing a tight, blue, sparkling dress going from below her shoulders to her ankles. His hair was correctly combed, and he didn't have the goggles, of course. Hers was flowing down, a little past her shoulders. They were in a big dance room, barely illuminated, but enough to create a mystic, romantic atmosphere. Suddenly, Takato put one hand in his pocket, and took off a little box. Imagine the woman's surprise when Takato revealed the contents of the box. A beautiful ring, with a big, heart-shaped diamond on the top._

_"I've loved you since the day I met you, and my life doesn't mean anything without you. The only thing I want is to be with you, for the rest of my life. Rika, would you marry me?"_

_Rika's violet eyes sparkled with a shining happiness and she jumped to the arms of the man she loved._

_"Oh, of course I'll marry you, Takato!"_

_Takato slowly placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Their eyes met for a while, until Rika's eyes closed, waiting for the magic moment. Takato leaned closer to her waiting lips. Closer, closer…almost there…_

_"GOGGLEHEAD!"___

Ah, the biggest dreamer…yep…oh, anyway! Back to the real world…

"GOGGLEHEAD!"

Takato slowly opened his eyes, looking for the person who had interrupted his fantasy, just to meet a pair of violet eyes. Rika's eyes. In flesh. The real one. Obviously, the reaction was instantaneous.

"Waaahhhh!!!"

Takato jumped back until he hit the counter, at the same moment all of his body's blood moved to his face. The Rika he had in front of him looked very different from his "dream" Rika. She had her hair in her "unique" style, and her heart-breaker t-shirt proudly covered her body. And the look, well…let's not talk about the look. The last time Takato had seen Rika, more than a month ago, had been result of a complete coincidence, pretty much like this one, too. But, at least, to Takato's eyes, she looked as beautiful as he remembered. Of course, there was absolutely no way he would say that aloud in front of her, unless he wanted a slow and painful death. The only day he would tell her about his secret crush would be the day she became a nice person; that is, never. However, he knew that behind that cold, quiet and almost frightening exterior, there was a nice, caring and charming woman, and releasing Rika's real self was his long-term objective. At least the whole Digimon adventure had been a good start. In the meantime, Rika was waiting for Takato to calm down, and his face to regain its usual color (not red).

"Ah, ahem…Rika! Long time no see! Um…what's up?" Nice move, Takato…

"Yeah, hi." Rika said coldly, which is pretty much the way she says everything, so I'll omit that word from now on.

"So…hmm…what brings you here?" Takato said, as cheerfully as he could. Rika just raised an eyebrow.

"I came to bring this." She said, showing a big, white paper, which she handed to the man behind the counter. The guy read the paper and smiled with a big grin.

"Oh! Of course, of course! Good luck in the contest, Miss Nonaka, although I don't think you need any luck." Rika just looked at him and walked out of the store. But good-old Takato wouldn't stay behind, noooo….ten seconds later, Rika found him walking next to her, not that she cared much about it, though.

"So, you will be in the competition, won't you?"

"Yeah." Our favorite female tamer replied.

"I know you'll win. I mean it, you're pretty good!" Takato said, with the intention of making a conversation. The longer, the better.

"…thanks." Rika, lady of few words, replied. But Takato knew how to distinguish feelings on that cold, expressionless face of hers. He knew Rika was worried. And he also knew the reason, probably because it was in front of him.

Hirokazu Shiota, Kenta Kitagawa and Ryo Akiyama were walking in Takato and Rika's direction, Ryo holding a paper just like the one Rika had given to the Comic Store guy. Takato didn't know if he had to hold Rika's hand or run away as fast as possible when he noticed the expression in her face. Yeah, Ryo may be a fellow Tamer. Yeah, he may have helped them with the whole D-Reaper thing. But Rika still despised him as if Ryo were the most hideous, repugnant, horrible thing in the world. And that was the reason Takato was jealous of him. Gee, love makes us feel weird stuff, doesn't it? But it was a good reason, after all, Rika at least gated Ryo, but she treated Takato with such neutrality it was almost annoying. Yes, Takato and Rika had their moments as Tamers, but those days were over, and Rika, without a Renamon to make things more comfortable, had returned to her normal, epitome-of-coldness self. So, Takato did the only thing he could think of. He smiled.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Takato asked. It was easy to chat with them, as Kazu and Kenta were his classmates. And Ryo, well, he was Ryo, and everyone knows who Ryo Akiyama is…you do, right?

"Look! Ryo is about to enter the Digimon Card Game Contest! And he's gonna win, of course!" And that did it. Takato had been keeping it to himself, but eventually, he had to say it.

"No, he's not!" he shouted, and that took everyone by surprise. After an awkward silence, Kenta finally spoke.

"Well, but you'll support hi, won't you, Takato?"

"Well…I CAN support him, but my bet goes to Rika!" Takato could hear her sigh right behind him. Immediately, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta understood and sighed in relief.

"Oh, of course! Rika…yep, you've got to help Rika…of course…" Kazu joked while nudging and winking. _Is it THAT obvious? Takato thought with a slight blush. "But let's make a bet!" Kazu continued. "10000 yens to Ryo. You bet to Rika. Okay?"_

But (and let's thank God for it) before Ryo or Takato could say something, Rika finally spoke.

"Weren't you walking with me, Gogglehead?"

"Was I?" Takato said suspiciously.

"YES, YOU WERE!" Rika said with a glare which carried an obvious message: "We're getting out of here!"

"Oh, yeah, right…sorry guys, but I'm making her company until she return to her house, so, see ya!" he concluded, with words that made him receive an even worse glare from the Digimon Queen. A minute later, after ignoring Ryo's eyes and Kazu's yelling ("I'll call you, Takato!"), our favorite couple (well, at least MY favorite couple) was walking through the crowded streets of West Shinjuku. Who would have thought Rika would be the one who broke the silence?

"What the hell were you thinking, Goggles!?" Takato replied with a sentence that made me think they had switched places for a second.

"That's not of your business, Queenie." Rika shot him a glare that could have killed me! Twice!

"QUEENIE! What kind of insult was that!? That's the name you would use for a…for a…for a horse!"

For a second, Takato thought he was going to die. He had mocked Rika Nonaka, and that's usually a deadly mistake. So he did the thing most people do in the face of death (or when you hear a good joke, not like the ones in this fic ^_^). He laughed. A lot.

"Now what's so funny, Gogglehead?"

"Some things never change, Rika, don't you think so?"

Takato couldn't help but blush with Rika's reaction. She had smiled. After all, he deserved it. He had reminded her of the old times. Those months that she considered (even if she wouldn't admit it in front of him) the best of her life. Just like Takato, her life had been worthy as she battled side to side with Renamon. She remembered everything with such detail. The good things, the bad things, the so-so things, memories she would cherish forever, and she knew she wasn't the only one who felt like her. The boy next to her was the living proof.

"Some things never change…" Rika said softly.

"Yeah, like…your heart beating faster with the upcoming battle…" Takato began.

"The electricity flowing through your body…" Rika said dreamily.

"The tickle in your hands when you slashed a card…"

"The fire in my eyes…"

"The connection with my partner…" Takato said as he leaned closer to Rika.

"Two hearts beating at the same time…" Rika whispered, as the magnetism slowly attracted her to the male Tamer.

"The incredible experience of bio-merging…" Takato said, almost inaudibly. When he noticed how awfully close he was to Rika, the magic disappeared, as his face changed through a variety of shades of red. Obviously, Rika noticed it too, and very quickly she moved aside, realizing they were already near her house.

"Well…" she said loudly, avoiding Takato's eyes, as she didn't want him to see the light pink on her cheeks. "I'll guess we separate here…"

Takato forced himself to nod after he saw Rika's house in the distance. "Yeah, I guess…well…"

"Well…"

"See you later, Rika, and…good luck."

"Thanks, Goggles."

Rika forced her feet to walk away of the confused Takato, who couldn't help but look at his dream girl walking away from him. Who knows when would they see each other again? While Takato considered the possibilities, and mentally kicked himself for not being able to ask her out, Rika had thoughts of her own. For a moment, she had connected with someone, and in her case, that says A LOT. But, she was the Digimon Queen, Empress of Ice. She couldn't have…anything. After all, her only family is a computer-crazed grandma and a mother who is her exact opposite. How could she identify with someone? However…

Takato was very surprised when Rika stopped to look at him. From the distance, Rika made a proposal that made him skip a beat.

"Hmm…I was wondering…I'll need someone to practice the card game with. I'm a little rusty…would you mind coming to my house tomorrow at…let's say…nine o'clock?"

Takato mentally turned back the last ten seconds of his life, to make sure he had heard the right words. Was Rika actually inviting him to her house? Ah, the possibilities…_Well, that's one less thing to my "It's not gonna happen" list…so, what should I do…gee, Takato, get those thoughts out of your mind! This is everything but a date! She's just been nice…wait a second…nice!?_

"Sure! Why not? After all, I need to lower my self-esteem a little. What better than being defeated a couple dozens of times at the Card Game to do that?" Rika released a sudden laugh after that. Even if it was short, it was something, and Takato showed her his best Matsuki grin.

"Well, then. See you tomorrow, Gogglehead." She said after retuning to her usual self. Takato just watched her walk away, and only started walking when his eyes lost her sight, because he wanted her to be out of his shouting range before he said the final word.

"YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Takato: Score, baby!

Rika: *giggles*

DR: Rika…did you just giggle?

Rika: WHAT!? Of course NOT!

DR: Anyway. I hope the readers liked this chapter, and I hope I get some reviews…3 would be more than enough…

Takato: Easy to satisfy, aren't we?

DR: Shut up, Yoda. The problem is, it's kind of difficult to write a Tamers fic without the Digimon, so I think this fic won't be as good as I would want it to be. Anyway, the Digimon should be back in the next fic…

Rika: There! I knew it!

DR: What!?

Rika: You have the sequel syndrome! You've always got to write a sequel, don't you!?

DR: Well, yeah…but why do you complain? The more fics I write, more mushy Rukato-ness you'll find, and that makes everyone happy, including you… *Evil Grin*

Rika: *blushes*

DR: Anyway, stay tuned for the next Digimon: Digital Monsters! Yeah, right…

**Next Chapter: Will Takato actually find a chance to use this new opportunity to get closer to Rika? And how will he react when he "accidentally" finds out the contest is already fixed? And the most important question: will we get to see another of Takato's ridiculous fantasies? Find out on the next chapter of Card-O-Rama!**


	2. It's All In The Cards...

Takato: Well, before Daneel Rush arrives, Digimon doesn't belong to him. Why, you ask? Well, don't ask me! I just know things are much better that way. Oh, and don't ask me what does he own!?

DR: Hey, I'm here, refreshed and ready for action! Takato, my friend, did you do the disclaimer?

Takato: Sure thing!

DR: Good boy! *Pats Takato's head and gives him a cookie*

Rika: Hey! Don't do that! Takato is not your pet! *Looks angry*

DR: Oh, yeah, I forgot. He's yours…

Rika/Takato: *blush madly, Takato giggles a little bit, Rika seems like she's about to kill someone*

DR: Well, while Takato does some damage control and tries to stop Rika from killing me *avoids flying toilet*, why don't you guys read the next chapter?

**CARD-O-RAMA!**

**Chapter 2**

**_It's All In The Cards…_**

****

****

"I won…again…"

"Umm…Rika…could be a nice girl and tell me the score again?"

"Gogglehead, I'm not a nice girl, especially not with you…but the score is all for me, nothing for you. Gee, Renamon played better than you…"

As Takato Matsuki and Rika Nonaka shuffled their decks for what would be the…fiftieth game of that day, Takato couldn't help but stare at the woman he had in front of him with his tired, chocolate eyes. They had been like that for hours, and the sun was now close to fall. They were only interrupted at noon, when Rika's grandmother (who seemed very pleased to see Rika hanging around with Takato, by the way) called them for lunch, or, better said, to make Takato the victim of an incessant interrogation.  While the extremely pissed off Rika tried to eat her lunch, Takato was forced to answer all types of questions, from the innocent "How old are you?" to the deadly and possibly destructive "Do you think Rika would look nice in this pretty dress?" Fortunately, Rika finished eating at that precise moment, and dragged a blushing Takato back to her room.

"I told you, I'm not as good as you…that's why I didn't enter the competition in the first place."

"Maybe, but someone would expect you to learn a little from experience. For God's sake, Gogglehead, we've been playing the entire day!"

"I'm…kind of a slow learner…"

"If you were slower you'd extinguish!" Takato didn't know if he had to laugh, or insult her back. He made the mistake of taking the second option.

"Well, maybe if I hadn't played this stupid game until total exhaustion and boredom with a self-claimed "Digimon Queen", who has nothing better to do, I'd be more willing to learn!"

After Rika took a second or two to recover from the shock, she shot him a cold glare, to which Takato –much to Rika's surprise- responded with one of his own. A staring competition ensued, the loser being the one who looked away. Takato won, mainly because he ended up lost in her beautiful violet eyes, and he just couldn't get his eyes off them. On the other side, Rika, who has no idea about love whatsoever (yet…), got tired and just looked away. An awkward silence filled the house, only interrupted by Rika's grandma, who seemed to be whistling a song in the kitchen. Finally, Rika stood up and broke the silence.

"I…I guess it's been enough for today. I'll guide you to…"

"I'm sorry." Takato interrupted her. Rika stared at him with disbelief. _What does he mean?_

"What I said…I shouldn't have said it…I'm just…a little tired, and I lost my nerve quite easily. I'm deeply sorry." Takato said softly, as he couldn't risk losing whatever kind of relationship he had with Rika, who, by the way, couldn't believe what she had just heard.

_He is apologizing!? But…why, if I was…_

"No problem, Gogglehead. I was the one who started it, after all. But it's getting late, anyway. Why don't you go home and rest?"

Sighing in relief, Takato followed Rika to the main door, where they stopped to share some final words. But the words Rika had in mind were most unexpected.

"So…same time tomorrow, Gogglehead?"

_WHAT!? To…tomorrow again!? This is…this is too good to be true! I don't know what I did to deserve this, God, but thanks!_

Showing a sickeningly huge grin, Takato nodded cheerfully, while Rika still wondered how a person could be so furious one moment and so happy at the next minute.

"Sure! Coming here is a lot more exciting than baking bread, that's for sure! Besides, I've got something that might help you."

"You? Helping me? I'll see a bunny fly first."

"Calumon can fly."

"Calumon is not a bunny, Goggles." Silence filled the place again as both Tamers remembered the Digimon (or should I say catalyst?) that for them represented the very definition of happiness. Finally, Takato walked through the door, getting Rika's attention again.

"Well…see you tomorrow, Rika." Takato said as he waved good-bye and started walking.

"Good night, Takato." Was her reply. _Did she just say my name!? Takato immediately thought but when he looked again, Rika had already closed the door. With a sigh of frustration and an overwhelming happiness, Takato started walking home._

However, ten minutes later, he made a slight change to his plans (and let's thank God he did it, because if he hadn't, this fic would be very boring…).

_I wonder if I still have time…if the Card Store if still open, I'm very lucky!_

He quickly made his way to the Comics Store, as he knew of one particular card he wanted Rika to have. In a record time, he arrived to the Store. However, he hadn't been fast enough. A big sign that said "Closed" was shown on the door, and all of the lights had been turned off. But while Takato silently cursed, a voice was clearly heard from the inside.

"Oh, Mr. Sagara! So…why do I have this pleasure?" It was easy to recognize. The Shop Owner was talking to someone. Takato, being as curious as he is, leaned his ear against the door, trying to get the faint voices with better detail. After a while, the Shop Owner spoke again.

"Oh, this is…"

"My son Ken is really interested in winning this contest." A different voice spoke this time.

"Of course, all of the kids around want to enter, but only the best can make it. I don't blame your son; the prize is quite…formidable. But he'll have to do pretty good to win that cash. Nonaka and Akiyama are already in."

Takato leaned even closer, while checking if the door was open. Much to his surprise, it was! _So I came in time…he just closed early… Takato concluded, not that it really matters, though. Carefully, Takato closed the door behind him, and dashed to hide behind the counter. He could see a faint light coming from a room behind the shop, probably a store room. Even if he still couldn't see their faces, at least Takato could listen clearly to their voices, especially as they were nice enough to speak in a pretty loud tone._

"I see…anyway, that's the reason I brought this." The mysterious man, Mr. Sagara, said. Takato would have liked to see what "it" was, but he couldn't take that risk. However, he wouldn't need to see it to find out, as the Shop Owner said it himself.

"This is…this is a lot of money!!"

"Yes, yes it is, and it will be yours if you make sure my son gets…a little help. After all, you're one of the judges."

"But…but…there's a lot more than 100000 yens in here…if you're gonna lose money, after all, then why are you doing this, mister?"

Takato could hear a loud sigh, probably from Mr. Sagara, before the answer.

"My son has more than enough money. We're one of the wealthiest families around, after all. But what he really needs is a confidentiality boost. I want him to believe he can do things by himself, even if that's not…entirely true. So…why don't you help me? After all…it's for a good cause."

Takato couldn't believe what he heard. _They're gonna… the contest…but… Instantly, his thoughts trailed to Rika, and how focused she was in winning the contest. He couldn't let them do this! If not for him, he had to do it Rika…maybe for Ryo, too, but…nah…_

For a second, he wished with his heart and soul that the Comic Shop Owner wouldn't accept the money, but that didn't last for long.

"Alright, I'll take it." Takato sighed silently.

"Excellent. Half now, half when my son wins the tournament. It's been a pleasure, mister. Good night." Mr. Sagara said before he left, probably through a back door, as nobody walked inside the store. For a silent minute, Takato thought of his possibilities. He could face the Shop owner right now, but how could he explain the fact that he entered the store after "closing time"? Or…he could uncover the owner during the competition, in front of everybody, and most importantly, in front of Rika…

*Wahoo!!! Takato's Fantasy # 2!!!!*

_"Takato! Takato!!!"_

_Takato smiled as Rika Nonaka ran towards him, a big smile on her face, and a big, golden medal around her neck. She didn't care to stop in front of him, but instantly jumped to his arms, crying with happiness._

_"I won, Takato, I won! And it's all thanks to you! I can't believe you uncovered the corrupted judge! You're the best!"_

_While Rika hugged him tightly, Takato leaned closer to her ear and whispered a few words._

_"I only did it for you, Rika"_

_When his chocolate eyes met Rika's violet orbs, a sparkle of joy, happiness and hope shone in both of them. The pleasure of watching Rika smile was more than enough, but her next words made him skip a…no, several beats._

_"Kiss me, Takato."_

_Takato didn't need anything more. Without a doubt, he leaned closer to Rika, who had closed her eyes, and her lips awaited the magic contact. Takato moved closer, and closer, and closer, and then…_

*Sorry guys, but that's enough for today!*

Takato suddenly (and reluctantly) returned to the real world when he heard steps coming closer. He thought about the possibility of escaping through the front door, and he was about to leap out of his hiding place at the same moment the Shop Owner walked inside the room, a big wad of cash in his hands (not literally a wad, but…).Then, Takato realized he was about to lock the door! He had to get out of there, and fast. Thankfully, his mind still worked correctly during risky situations, because his eyes immediately focused on the storage room in the back, and the door that could take him to safety. Immediately, he dashed behind the counter and inside the Store Room, but his sneakers made too much noise against the floor, and caught the attention of the man in charge of the store.

"Who is there!?" the man shouted, more frightened than surprised, as the fear of someone who could possibly know of his "little plot" with Mr. Sagara filled his mind. But as he looked carefully, he realized there was nobody inside the room. Takato had already made it to the Storage Room, and hid behind some boxes. The man slowly made his way to the Store Room, grabbing a gun in the process. When Takato looked at the man walking in the room and blocking the back door, the only door, and when he noticed the black thing he had with him, a gulp went down his throat.

_Oh, great, now Comic Book Salesmen have guns, too…you know, I could use a Pyro Blaster right now…_

He forced himself to get his thoughts somewhere else when the loud voice of Mr. Shop Owner echoed in the seemingly empty room.

"Hey, Mr. Burglar. Why don't you get out of wherever you are? I'm sure we can…work something out…" Takato immediately understood.

_So he fears that I know about his little dirty scheme…well, I know of his dirty little scheme, but that's not the thing…_

He realized he could make his way out of there with words, and decided to reason with the man, who seemed as scared as he was. Faking his best gangster voice, Takato finally spoke.

"So…mister…what kind of deal are you thinking of?"

"Matsuki?"

_Damn it!_

Without a doubt, he grabbed the first thing he saw (surprise, surprise, an Imperialdramon action figure! Now it really flies!), and threw at the puzzled man. Then, he dashed across the room, grabbing a box of Digimon Cards in the process (_now that I'm already here…) and got out of the store before the guy could react. After that, well…he ran as if there were no tomorrow, and didn't stop until he was in his comfortable room._

An hour later, when his heart returned to its normal pace, his stomach was full and he had changed to his pajamas, he found himself checking the box of Digimon Cards he had, well…stolen. As a good collector, he studied all of the cards very carefully.

"Got it, got it, hey, I don't have this one… got it, and got it! Oh, this is a cool one! Got it, this one's new, got it…here!"

Finally, Takato found the card he was looking for, the card he noticed Rika lacked, the card he was going to give the next day. He got up and put it in his pocket, to make sure he wouldn't forget it. And as he got ready to sleep, his mind couldn't help but reviewing the events of that day.

_A whole day with Rika…I can't believe it…and I'll see her tomorrow, too! That makes two days in a row!_

But his mind also reminded him of what happened just a while before. He had not only discovered a conspiracy, but he also got caught, AND he stole a box of cards. He promised himself not to walk inside that store until everything was over, and if the Owner wanted something with him, he would make sure everyone in West Shinjuku knew about his little plan. Finally, with a smile on his face, and a new found confidence, Takato trailed away to the world of dreams, where pleasant experience awaited, as every night he dreamt…of Rika Nonaka.

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Rika: Oh, Gogglehead, I love you, too!

DR: AHEM!

Rika: Oh! You're still here!? *blushes alongside Takato*

DR: Ooookay…after this…touching moment…I want everyone to know that…well…Rukato rules!

Rika: Gee, we already know that… *kisses Takato*

DR: Whoa! What, no kiss for me?

Rika: One, Takato is cute, you aren't. Two, even if you were, I'd rather kiss a Numemon.

DR: Gee, thanks…

Takato: *LOL* Oh, Rika, be nice to him, after all, he's a fan, and that's good.

Rika: OK! But only because Takato think you're nice, ok!?

DR: God bless Takato… *sarcasm*

**Next Chapter: When Rika and Ryo have a close encounter of the "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!" type, Takato's jealously reaches a new peak. However, he has other things to think of, like the corrupted judge, for example. And who better to help than…*drum rolls* Henry Wong, ladies and gentlemen! Don't miss these two wreak some havoc in the next chapter of Card-O-Rama: Gogglehead and Brainiac: Private…Detectives?**


	3. Everything That Wasn't Meant To Happen.....

DR: I can't believe this is already the third chapter!

Rika: Two questions. How long is this thing, and when do I get to kiss my Gogglehead?

Takato: Yeah! Does it have tongue and everything? *blushes a little when Rika looks at him, astounded*

DR: Okay, there goes my breakfast…

**CARD-O-RAMA!**

**Chapter 3**

**_Everything That Wasn't Meant to Happen…_**

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Takato, once again, happily walked to Rika's house, looking forward to spend another whole day with her. Being a dream come true, Takato couldn't think of anything else. During that walk of absolute perfection, he forgot the whole Tournament Complot, the card he kept in his pocket, and the Digivice he carried with him, too (don't ask…force of habit). He ignored the crowded streets, and the car drivers who shouted at him when he crossed the streets without any caution. The only thing in his mind was Rika Nonaka. Finally, after a 10-minute walk that almost seemed like an eternity, he found himself in front of Rika's house. Without any fear (for the first time in his life) he knocked the door, and waited for Rika, who wouldn't greet him with an insult, by the way, to open the door. The first surprise of the day came when Rika's grandmother opened the door, and not Rika (duh!).

"Oh, hello, dear. I'm sorry, but Rika is not here."

_What!? Why!? How…?_

"Oh, really? Well...do you think I can wait for her?" Takato replied, an obvious tone of disappointment in his voice. But Rika's grandma just sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think Rika will return before lunchtime." Takato closed his eyes and lowered his head. He could believe Rika had forgotten him.

"Oh…okay…thanks anyway. Good bye." Takato said softly.

"Have a nice day."

At the same moment Rika's grandmother closed the door; all of Takato's plans for the day went down and sank to never return. _So…what now?_

But he knew exactly what to do. No matter how long it took him, he would find Rika and tell her one thing or two (yeah, right.). Then, faster than a Rapidmon in a sugar rush, he ran to the first place he could think of: Shinjuku Park.

In the meantime, our favorite redhead, Rika, who by the way was already at Shinjuku Park (great minds think alike!), tried to enjoy a silent stroll around the place, without anyone who could possibly bother her, and that says a lot. However, as life loves to kick your ass (which is something Rika would say), she found a rather…unpleasant surprise.

"Come on, Ryo! Show us those cards!" an annoyingly familiar voice shouted.

"Ok, ok. Look!" The above mentioned "Ryo" said.

"Whoa! Cool!"

_When I thought those two couldn't do worse by hanging with Gogglehead, look at this…_

Making sure to keep her distance, Rika looked at the three boys who were resting under a tree, while Ryo bragged and bragged about his new deck of cards, the ones he'd use during the tournament (not that I have anything against Ryo, by the way). However, Ryo easily saw her.

"Hey, Rika! Come on here!" Not before muttering a "dammit!", Rika slowly walked closer to the group.

"Well, if it's Moe, Larry and Curly. What stupid ideas do you have for today?" Rika said mockingly (really! No way!). Before Kenta could ask which of them was Moe, Ryo spoke.

"Well, I was just showing them which cards I'll be using during the tournament."

"Of course, Mr. Perfection had to be showing around his cards. Don't you think about strategy at all, you idiot?"

"If you want to see them, you just have to ask." Ryo said, and his big smile didn't disappear from his face.

"No, thanks. I'll see them when I beat you in front of everybody."

"Well, I must say I have practiced a lot lately. I feel very confident."

"Oh, pu-lease…you're the very definition of confidence…and by the way, you've been practicing with these two!? Even Jeri could beat them…"

Ignoring Kazu and Kenta's complains, Ryo replied, with a big smirk on his face.

"And who have you been practicing with, Rika?"

Ryo smirked even more when he noticed Rika's doubts. Rika noticed three pairs of eyes waiting for an answer, and she carefully took her time to think.

_I can't tell them I've been practicing with Gogglehead…if we can call that "practice", that is…_

"So, Rika? You know, we can't wait forever." Kazu said playfully. While Rika sweatdropped, looking at her three interviewers, who seemed to enjoy the Queen's insecurity, she ignored the existence of a fourth pair of eyes that patiently waited. Takato, who had arrived, found them and now spied on them, looked at the scene with absolute despair. _Does it cost you that much to say it, Rika? So that's it…_

"Nobody! I've been all by myself, as I always do." Rika finally answered. While Kazu and Kenta seemed to accept her answer without question, Ryo and Rika exchanged one last glance. Ryo obviously didn't believe her. In the nearby bushes, Takato sighed, his heart broken. Consumed in his sadness, he didn't notice the person slowly kneeling behind him.

"What are we looking at?"

"WHAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Takato cried, a little too high-pitched. His yell obviously caught Rika and the others' attention, which approached the bushes, and Ryo moved them apart. In the grassy field behind them, the foursome found Henry and Suzie Wong, who giggled like crazy, and Takato Matsuki, who lied on the grass, doing something that slightly resembled an epileptic attack. Finally, when Henry and Suzie saw them, the laughter stopped, as they looked at the confused and surprised Tamers. But Rika was only looking at Takato, who had already recovered from the shock, and slowly got up, shooting her a glare that almost made her shiver.

"Chumly! What brings you here!?" Kazu said cheerfully. Silence possessed the place, as Takato and Rika seemed to be in their own world of eternal staring, sparks shooting everywhere.

"Gogglehead…" Rika said softly.

"Nonaka…" Takato replied, which seem to startle everyone in the place. Finally, Takato looked away, after shooting a glance at Henry, who moved a step backwards.

"Can we walk together for a while, Henry? I really need to talk with you."

"Hmm…well…I'm just taking Suzie back home…"

"Hey!" Suzie finally spoke. "But we just left…some minutes ago!"

"Then I'll walk with you. It's very important."

"Oh…okay…" Henry reluctantly agreed. While Ryo and the other guys waved goodbye to the Wong couple and Takato, Rika just walked away from the park. She remembered Takato was supposed to visit her that day, too. And she realized he had probably gone to her house already.

_I…I guess I totally screwed…but then again, why do I care, anyway?_

Rika shook away the remorse and quietly walked home. She had nothing to say to Takato, as her pride and personality was first. But her conscience, that little thing inside her that she had gotten used to ignore, wouldn't leave her alone that day.

***An hour later, at the Wong's Residence…***

"Is…is that true, Takato?" Henry said worriedly.

"Of course it is true! What, do you think I'm making up stuff?"

"Well, no, but…Takato, this is serious stuff."

Even after Takato explained him the situation with great detail –twice–, Henry still couldn't believe there was actually a complot to fix the Card Game Tournament. Besides, the fact that Takato invaded private property AND stole something from there wasn't very relieving. Takato walked from one side to the other across the room, every once in a while looking outside the window. Henry could tell he was mad about something, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut, not like his Digimon partner, I may add.

"So?" Takato finally said.

"So what?"

"So…are you gonna help?"

"Once again, what?"

"We have to uncover the complot!" Takato shouted. "If not for us, for the ones who are competing!"

"You mean for Rika…" Henry said with a mischievous grin. The only person blind enough not to notice Takato's crush on Rika was, well…Rika. It didn't take Henry long after the whole D-Reaper thing to realize the owner of Takato's heart wasn't Jeri anymore, which was pretty much of a relief, for reasons we'll discuss later.

"Yes, for Ri…I DO NOT!" Henry let out a silent chuckle. Takato just fumed and restarted his walking around the room. A minute later, Henry resumed the conversation.

"Anyway…what do you expect me to do?" Suddenly, Takato's expression lightened, and a huge grin covered his face. He obviously had something in mind, and Henry wouldn't like it.

"We've got to find clues! They won't believe us if we just show up saying that there's a plot to fix the competition."

"Once again I'm the one with the questions. How…?"

"Simple! WE sneak in the store, find where does he have the money, and…"

"And…" Henry questioned, even if he already had like…ten reasons for not to help Takato.

"...oh! We take pictures of it! And maybe, maybe…"

"Takato, that's not gonna work." Henry said. "He'll just say…it's money he got at the store."

"Henry, you have no idea of how much money we're talking about. No normal person would keep that amount of money in a store. I'd go to a bank right away."

"And how much money are we talking about, Takato?"

Takato sweatdropped. After all, he had no idea of how much money had Mr. Sagara given to the shop owner. But if he wanted Henry's support, he would have to play big time.

"Umm…half a million…maybe…"

As if he had springs on you-know-where, Henry jumped off the couch and dragged the puzzled Takato out of the apartment.

"Then what are we waiting for!? Oh, wait! The camera!" Henry shouted excitedly. A couple of seconds later, when Henry returned with a digital camera hanging around his neck, Takato asked.

"Umm, Henry…what's with the rush now?"

"You don't get it, don't you!? We may be heroes! We may get a REWARD…you know, there's a new Digimon World Videogame about to be released, and I seriously need some cash…" And that way, as Henry talked (mostly to himself) about what would he do when he got the "reward", Takato did the only thing he could think of: he sweatdropped. Again.

***In front of the Store***

"Umm…Takato…"

"What's the matter, Henry?"

"…are you sure this is gonna work?"

"Of course I'm not sure! If I were sure we would have already done it!"

Henry sighed. After the emotion of a possible reward faded away, Henry felt overwhelmed. He had calculated there were at least 24 ways their plan could fail, and an 83.7% possibility that one of them would happen. Reasons? There was an obvious one: Takato's plan was so simple even Calumon could have thought of it. It was the trademark "you go and distract him while I sneak through the back door" plan, and Henry was sure it would fail. _But you just can't say no to Takato Matsuki, can you? Noooooooooo… his inner voice said. _

_Look, inner voice… Henry's conscience began. __I wouldn't do this if he weren't the best guy in the world. The bad thing is, he is, and he's my friend, and I love him as a brother, so will you shut up and let me help him!?_

_"Okay…gee, aren't we moody today…?"_

"Henry…Henry!"

"Um, wha!? Oh, what is it?"

"Go now!"

"Eh…Takato…I don't think it's a really good idea…"

"Oh, come on, Henry! Everything is going to be okay…Momentai!"

"Shut up, Takato…"

"Ok…"

Sinking the sudden memories of Terriermon, which had suddenly taken control of his mind, Henry sighed and walked inside the store. Of course, it was crowded with children, seeking for comics, toys and Digimon Cards. But Henry didn't want any of that. He slowly approached to the owner, and thought of a good (and long) conversation topic. He decided to ask the first question he could think of, but not before looking back for a second and noticing that Takato had already dashed out of sight.

"Good Morning, Mister…" Henry could notice a slight sign of nervousness on the man before he replied.

"Oh, but if it's our local hero, Mr. Henry Wong! What brings you here?" Henry could also notice that he had suddenly become the center of attention in the place. He had enough with the unknown people who suddenly greeted him or stopped him on the streets to shake his hand or ask for his autograph ("It's for my daughter, I'm sure she'll like it…"), and now he had to bear this guy, who wasn't helping him at all. Of course, the worst came by the hands of Kazu and Kenta, who kept introducing him to any random girl they could find (_That would be the top of it…a girlfriend who would show like some sort of trained dog or something…)._

"Ah, hehe…" _Takato! I'm SO gonna kill you if we get out of this! Henry thought when he noticed the amount of people of the two sexes suddenly approaching to him._

In that very same moment, our goggle-headed hero was walking through the back door (_So it IS open…geez, if I had that money I wouldn't leave the back door open…). Silently, but yet as fast as possible, he searched through the mountain of boxes for a single clue of the money's location. He could hear a loud noise coming from the store, and Henry's voice rising through them._

"One at a time, please…"

Takato silently pitied him, but at the same time considered himself lucky of not being him. After all, he was one of the Tamers, too. However, he didn't have as much trouble as Henry, Rika or Ryo. The reason was that Ryo and Rika are famous Card Game players, and Henry, well…he is smart and handsome. On the other side, he…he is just a Gogglehead. One who can transform into a cool Holy Knight who can kick some serious booty, yes, but still just a Gogglehead. But he didn't need fans or publicity. He knew what he was capable of doing, and he also knew he was an important part of the team, that is, when they still were a team. And that's probably the reason he found the bag with the cash in record time (or he was just lucky, who knows?). When he opened it, he widened his eyes at the biggest wad of cash he had ever seen. He was so hypnotized, that he ignored the cat that entered the Storage Room. He also ignored how the cat tried to jump to one of the higher boxes. And finally, he also ignored how the cat lost its grip and the boxes fell all over him, with a loud crash. What he did notice was how the mumbling from the store suddenly stopped, and the steps of someone approaching the room. Instantly, Takato hid behind some of the boxes that hadn't fallen on the poor cat. From there, he could see the shop owner walking inside the room, and pushing away some curious kids.

"Matsuki…I know you're here…" the not-very-nervous-anymore man spoke, when the room was finally abandoned, leaving Takato, the intruder alone with the Owner. "You know, I think fame has really gotten on you head…you're just a kid looking for attention…" But Takato completely ignored the guy's words, as he had other things in his head.

_"Momentai, Takato! Everything's gonna be okay…"…yeah, right, as if I were THAT lucky…_

"But…you know what, Matsuki? Maybe we can make a deal…if you promise to keep your mouth shut…" When the man noticed the open bag, he continued. "Well, so you've seen it, don't you? I guess you noticed it's a lot of money…and I'm willing to share…"

_Damn it, Henry, help ME!!!!!_

Almost as if Henry had actually heard him, another loud crash could be heard from the store. In the second the man spent to look for the origin of the noise, Takato dashed through the room (again), took yet ANOTHER box of cards (he's becoming a kleptomaniac of sorts, don't you think?) and ran the hell out of there.

"Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!" the man shouted when he noticed Takato had escaped again, and he shouted so loud the kids at the store could hear him.

_Gee, that guy should realize there are small children in here… Henry said to himself as he carefully walked out of the store, before anyone could blame him for the drawer he had pulled down._

***Some minutes later, somewhere in Shinjuku Park***

"So…did you get the pictures?" Henry asked to his friend when they rested after the long run they made from the store to Shinjuku Park.

"Well…*pant*…I didn't…"

"Then why do you have that grin on your face!?......man, I'm in a horrible shape…" Henry said as he breathed heavily.

"Well…I got this…." Takato said cheerfully as he showed his friend the box of cards he had…okay, stolen.

"TAKATO!? WHY DID YOU TAKE THAT!?" Henry shouted in a burst of rage. After combing his hair with his fingers, and wiping away the saliva Henry had thrown, Takato replied.

"The guy can't tell anyone about it, since he thinks I'll reveal the whole plot, okay? So I thought we could take advantage of it while it lasted…"

"I can't believe you just said that…you've become some sort of mixture between Hirokazu and Rika."

"Man, just shut up and take this for helping me. As… a token of my appreciation." Takato said as he handed a card to Henry. He could hide a smile when Henry widened his eyes in surprise at the card he had just received.

"This…this is…"

"See ya later, my friend." Takato said, patted his friend back and walked away. Henry wanted to stop him, maybe to say thanks or to hug him, who knows? But he couldn't afford to move, as his eyes were focused on what he had in his hand. A holographic, limited edition, MegaGargomon card.

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DR: End of chapter 3, yay! What did you think of it? There was some nice bonding between two good friends in it, which makes all the work worthy!

Rika: Well…*cough, cough "Mushy!" cough, cough*

DR: Oh, shut up, Rika! By the way, where's Takato?

Rika: He went to find a phone. After he read this chapter he remembered he hasn't called Henry in…what was it? Five weeks.

DR: *sigh* Ah, real friends…hard to find, harder to keep…anyway, don't forget to review, and be good!

**Next Chapter: Finally, the story comes to an end in chapter four! The tournament finally arrives, and Rika easily makes it through the first rounds, but when Mr. Sagara and the Shop Owner's plan begins, will Takato be able to stop them, before it's too late? Move quickly, Takato! It's your last chance! Hilarious moments and a cute Rukato moment soon, in the final chapter of Card-O-Rama: When Rika's Fist Meets Takato's Face!**


	4. When Rika's Fist Meets Takato's Face

Daneel Rush: Finally, the moment I've been waiting for! Rika says a bad word on this chapter!

Takato: This is supposed to be the last chapter, right? *sweatdrops*

DR: Indeed, my friend, and it has some nice Rukato moments for you to enjoy. Believe me, it's gonna be memorable!

Rika: Why do I believe you're not saying that the good way…?

**CARD-O-RAMA!**

**Chapter 4**

**_When Rika's Fist Meets Takato's Face_**

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The sun shone brightly in what seemed to be the perfect summer day. Most people were probably in their houses, relaxing after a week of hard work, some others maybe preferred going for a day at the beach, while others just decided to hang around a park, fooling around. But there was a group of people who weren't doing any of that. People joined by one same concept: Digimon. And that Sunday, that group of people had decided to join together in a huge coliseum, where the expected Digimon Card Game Tournament would be held. However, not even a fifth of the people in that place were contestants. Most of them were just fans, guests or people who came to support their friends, those who were about to show their Card Game skills. And speaking of the contestants, they were held in a large room, where some sort of preliminary raffle was about to take place. And among those contestants, there were two familiar figures to us: Rika Nonaka and Ryo Akiyama, who were standing near one of the corners, in a group pretty much separated from the rest. Ryo was there of his own free will. Rika was there because, in her own words: "I'd rather be with Mr. Perfect than having to bear that bunch of annoying brats". And I must say, Rika's point of view was pretty accurate, as the group she had in front of her couldn't have more variety. Boys and girls (mostly boys) from 8 to 15 years old, all of them together, as there is no age difference when it comes to the Card Game. It's just a matter of skill.

"Scared?" Ryo asked softly.

"Why should I be scared?" Rika replied exasperatedly. "Wanna know what scares me? Your happy-happy face. That's scary."

"I enjoy being your friend too, Rika."

"And who said we were friends?" Rika snorted, just before the judging committee walked in the room. Five people she had never seen before…no, four people she had seen before, and a familiar face. She easily recognized the man in care of the Comic Shop where she buys all her cards. She immediately admitted she never thought of having him as a judge. Should she consider it an advantage? Having someone you know in the jury? She still didn't know…

For Rika, the next twenty minutes were considered minutes of absolute boredom. She didn't care about the raffle, and she didn't need to know who would be Card-Battling with. They could introduce themselves right before the game, if she was in a good mood, that is. The part that made her feel a little curious was when the jury asked for everybody's decks. "Tournament Rules", they said. But she still wondered why did they need all of their cards. Surrendering to her curiosity, she walked to the only member of the jury she knew and made the question.

"Um…ahem…mister…"

The man quickly turned his body, and in the last second Rika could notice he tried to hide something. However, she just ignored it, as she thought it had nothing to do with her doubt.

"Oh…oh! Miss Nonaka, what a surprise! What…what can I do for you?" Also ignoring the man's obvious nervousness, Rika replied in her normal tone of voice (cold and expressionless).

"I wanted to know why you need our decks."

"Oh, that! Well, we are registering everyone's decks, and that way we can make sure the contestants will only use those cards. To avoid cheating, you know." The man replied, a little more confident. But as he noticed Rika still had suspicions, he continued. "Don't worry. You'll have your deck of cards back in no time."

Feeling a little better (just a little), Rika decided to leave the man do his job. After all, the sooner she left him alone, the sooner she would get her deck back, right? However, her mood went back to the cold zone when she heard the judge's final sentence.

"You know, the contestants get to see their relatives before the contest. Why aren't you looking for them?"

_Great, just great…_

While Rika walked through the crowded place, watching how the participants happily talked to their family and friends, a disgusting feeling went all the way down her esophagus, until it decided to remain at the bottom of her stomach. A pain she had grown used to feel, and grown used to ignore. She had already stopped worrying about her family joining her in contests like that one. Besides, her mother and grandmother, even if they felt somehow attracted to Rika's hobby, they'd probably be too busy to visit her. She had always entered the contests by herself, played them by herself, and won them by herself. Those were her victories, no one else's. But the feeling grew stronger when she could distinguish the image of Ryo Akiyama and his family, as he obviously received the last words of support.

_Gosh, I hate that guy…wait a minute…what are you doing, Rika!? You can hate him for always having that sickening smile, or that cool attitude of his, or the "Legendary Tamer" reputation he's got, but you can't blame him for having parents! That doesn't make him better than you! That just makes him…luckier…_

Rika fought the sudden urge growing inside of her, an urge that moved from the heart to somewhere behind her eyes. As much as she tried to rip off the memories of her father, the one who had created her, and then abandoned her; she just couldn't. And when those memories became stronger, and the sadness and pain filled her soul, that's when she had to prove that she was strong. _No tears, Rika…you cried enough when you were a little girl, but now you're a big girl…show them, Rika, show them you're the best…_

"Excuse me…"

Rika's meditation was suddenly interrupted when someone placed his hand on her left shoulder. Rika had to look back, just to realize it was one of the people in charge of the contest. A young brunette, a female who seemed to have her mother's age, or a few years younger, maybe.

"What is it?" Rika said, with the best modals she could work out.

"You're Rika Nonaka, right? Someone's here to see you."

_What the!?_

Rika took several seconds to process the information she had just received. Someone had actually gone there to see her? To wish her luck!? Who could possibly be? Rika analyzed every single possibility, but she ran out of them after she rejected her mother and her grandmother. So, she followed the woman until they reached the same room she had just come out of, the meeting room. And the person she found there was the most unexpected.

"Good morning, Rika."

_Gogglehead…_

She inclined her head slightly to her right, in what Takato translated as her way to express gratitude (if he was right or wrong, we'll probably never know). But Rika still couldn't believe Takato was in front of her. After all, they hadn't talked to each other since that day at Shinjuku Park. However, the Takato Matsuki she had in front of her was the same nice, happy Tamer she had learned to respect. As a Tamer, of course.

"What…what are you doing here?"

"The same as all those people out there with the other contestants, Rika. I'm here to give YOU my support, and to watch you win this tournament."

Rika couldn't believe it. For the first time, someone had gone to offer support. For the first time, she would have someone from the audience to look at. For the first time in her life, she realized…she had a friend.

"Tha…thanks, Goggles…"

Takato was about to say "you're welcome" when another person entered the room. He was surprised to realize it was, in fact, the Shop Owner, but Takato's surprise was nothing compared to the man's surprise.

"Miss Nonaka! Oh…I…I thought you were alone…"

_Oh…you would have preferred to find her alone, won't you? What are you gonna do? Why do you waste your time? Sooner or later I'll reveal your little plan…_

Almost as if the man could read Takato's mind, he shot him a threatening glare, invisible to Rika, but implying an obvious message. _Don't mess with me, Matsuki…_

"Here's your deck, Miss Nonaka." The man said, handing Rika her trademark leather belt, with the pocket full of Digimon cards. Rika just put it on, but Takato's sharp eyes, looked at it with utmost care, then he looked at the judge, then at the pocket again. And that's when he found out. Barely visible from one of the sides, he could see the first card of the deck. He recognized the word "Flood". _A "Flood" card? Rika doesn't have a "Flood" card… Takato waited until the man left the room, while shooting daggers at him, to ask the Ultimate question._

"Rika, why did that guy have your deck of cards?"

"Some sort of Cheat Control. They registered all he decks. If one person uses a card that wasn't registered, it's considered cheating." Rika answered, seemingly uninterested in whatever Takato could be thinking.

_That's it! Takato finally concluded. __Now my wild guess says…_

"Who's your first opponent, Rika?" Takato asked again.

"Why do you care, Goggles?" Takato just shrugged. "Look over there." Rika said. In front of them, covering an entire wall, there was a tournament chart. Takato realized it was a sudden death competition: winner goes to the next round, loser says bye bye. But what caught Takato's attention was the name of Rika's first opponent. Yes, just as he thought (and you too, probably), the paper said "Ken Sagara".

_So…he changes Rika's deck, she gets disqualified and little Ken wins a match he was bound to lose…clever, but predictable…and that's why I got this…_

He placed his hand on one of his pockets, making sure the deck of cards was still there. A brilliant thought he was still proud of. An act of genius he still couldn't believe. The product of a night of hard work. A deck of cards exactly like Rika's. He had totally memorized Rika's deck the day he had spent with her.

_But now…how the hell do I get to change the decks so that she doesn't notice? _

Why the secret, you ask? Well, if he wanted to be a hero, and Rika to be proud of him, he couldn't tell her in that moment. If there was something he had learned from Hollywood movies, it was that the hero always saves the girl in the last second, when everything is lost (even though he didn't need to go that far…his Tamer adventures could have taught him the same thing…). And suddenly, he designed a plan. It was risky, and he would probably get hurt, but he could succeed. _Okay, here I go! Ahh…if he just had known, he would have probably thought it twice…no, he would have done it anyway, forget it…_

"So…good luck, Rika!" Takato said cheerfully, at the same moment he hugged her as tight as possible. _WHAT THE!? That was Rika's first thought, but then, her body and soul focused on one thing: getting rid of the Gogglehead._

"What the hell are you thinking, Gogglehead!? Let me go!" But Takato ignored her pleas and skillfully took the deck out of his pocket with his left hand. Then, with the same hand, he carefully opened the belt's pocket. And that's where the pleas became threats.

"If you don't want a slow and painful death, you'll better let me go, Gogglehead!!!" Takato slowly removed the fake deck out of the leather pocket, but when he proceeded to the next stage of the mission, things got ugly. Rika had switched to "shaky" mode. Takato had to struggle with all of his might so that Rika wouldn't get free.

"LET ME GO, GOGGLEHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Rika said loudly, so loudly that Takato feared someone would enter, so he slid the new deck as fast as he could inside Rika's pocket, and he succeeded.

_YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Takato was still mentally celebrating his victory, when he noticed Rika had stopped moving. A second later, a lethal second later, he knew the reason: Rika had moved…and Takato's left hand was placed on her rear.

_Whoa, soft…wait! No!!!!!!!!_

**"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, GOGGLEHEAD!!!!!!!???????"**

In a matter of nanoseconds, Takato was two feet away of her. The problem was, he was still on what I call "anger zone". He never saw her fist coming.

**TWACK!!! (Or, in Batman, the original version: KAPOW!!!!)**

The next thing he knew, he was on the floor, when suddenly Rika's face covered his range of vision. On any other occasion, lying on the floor with Rika on his lap would have been a pleasant experience, but the burning rage in her eyes and her clenched fist ready to kill, that added to the popping veins on her head gave Takato a whole new, different idea. _I'm so dead, I'm so dead, and I'm so dead…_

"All the contestants please walk to the stage. The Tournament is about to begin. I repeat, all the contestants please walk to the stage. Thank you." A female voice echoed through the whole place. For Rika, it was just an announcement. For Takato, it was song from the heavens, sang by angels playing their little harps, as Rika immediately stood up and walked to the door. Takato slowly stood up and looked at her, at the same moment she opened the door. Right the moment before she left, they exchanged a last glance. Just an instant and the door closed.

_Did she just look…deceived…disappointed? Maybe even…sad?_

Yes, that's what he thought, but his mouth said something completely different.

"YYYYYEEEEEEOOOOOOUUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" he shouted as he covered his face with his hands. But if he had a broken nose, he'd deal with it later. He had to look for a seat in the front row.

***A little bit later***

"And now, for our next match, we have Ken Sagara against Rika Nonaka! The competitors please get on the stage."

_Well then, Rika, this is it. Prove them why you're the "Digimon Queen"…_

Rika walked to the stage, followed by a boy around her age, obviously Ken Sagara. He had short, black hair; big, black eyes, and he seemed to come from a very rich family, or at least that's what his outfit said. However, and much to Rika's please, he seemed to be very nervous. A slight smirk covered her face when the crowd cheered. It was a feeling she enjoyed every time, as it was the prize for being one of the best Card Players in Japan. But her smirk disappeared when she noticed that one of the people in the crowd was clapping and cheering harder than the rest. Right in front of her, with a huge smile and a big bruise on his face, she saw Takato Matsuki.

_Does he have no shame at all!?_

Ignoring him, Rika took her seat in front of the Gaming Table, and immediately proceeded to take out her deck. But she couldn't help but looking at Takato again. After all, he was the only one who had gone there JUST for her. The moment their eyes met, she noticed his smile had widened when she had took out her deck of cards, and she unavoidably wondered why. Looking away, she saw two of the judges approaching to her and the boy named Ken. One was a woman she had never seen before that day, and the other was the Shop Owner she had known for a long time, even if she still didn't know his name, not that she really cared, though. Just as the woman declared Ken's deck was the one they had registered, the other judge look at Rika's deck. Rika obviously noticed the look in his eyes. He was…shocked.

"No…way…"

Rika could hear a chuckle right behind her. She didn't need to look back to know it was Takato. So, she focused her attention on the judge, who still had a totally idiotic look on his face.

"Is the something wrong, Mr. Sato?" the female judge, who had approached to the place, asked. However, the man didn't respond. He just looked at Rika's deck, with the same look of surprise.

"There can't be anything wrong, Miss." Rika said. "This is the deck I brought for today." By then, the puzzled audience, who had no idea of what was taking so long, was already trying to listen to the conversation.

"Is this Miss Nonaka's registered deck, Mr. Sato?" the woman asked. This time, the shop owner, Mr. Sato, answered with a nod.

"Yes, but…" Suddenly, a spark of comprehension shone in his eyes, and he looked at one of the people in the audience. Immediately, everybody's eyes were focused on a young boy with brown hair and goggles, with a big smile on his face.

"Matsuki!"

"Looking for this, Mr. Sato?" Takato said calmly, as he showed another deck of cards. "I'm sure you recognize it…let me see…Flood, Gekomon, Impmon, Secret Crush…" he smirked as he continued naming cards. Now everyone was puzzled, Rika more than anyone else.

"How…how did you do it!?" shouted Mr. Sato, right before exchanging a glance with a man that looked pretty much like Ken Sagara. Rika immediately concluded it was Ken's father. Takato walked to the stage, and now everyone could see him. Everyone had their eyes on him. But Rika noticed he looked incredibly comfortable. Obviously he knew something she didn't.

"Well, as you already know, I knew of your little complot with Mr. Sagara over there…" Takato began, and Rika saw that Mr. Sato completely lost its cool. He was sweating and breathing heavily, and the other judges looked at him in shock. "_A complot?" That was pretty much everybody's thought at the moment. Takato removed his smile, and continued, this time with a surprisingly serious expression._

"When I came here today, my friend Rika here told me that the judges had taken all of the contestant's decks, and then I saw that Mr. Ken Sagara, the young boy in front of me, was Rika's first opponent. I knew that Mr. Sagara, Ken's father, had paid you to help Ken win the tournament, so you had to get rid of Rika somehow. With her deck of cards, it was easy to change it for a crappy one, like the deck I have on my right hand, and then she'd lose. I don't know what you would do for the next rounds, as you couldn't use the same trick twice, so I had to stop you right now. My guess is that if I look in your pockets, I'll probably find Rika's REAL and registered deck."

Takato slowly walked in front of Mr. Sato, who by then was being held by the other judges, so that he would try to beat the crap out of Takato. Ken Sagara exchanged looks between Takato, Mr. Sato and his father, who was also being held by policemen who had arrived to the scene moments before. Takato searched through Mr. Sato's pocket, and exclaimed a little shout of victory when he showed everyone another deck of cards. He spread it on the table, and every body could see it was exactly like the deck Rika had. Rika looked at Takato, who just replied with a smile. She still couldn't believe what had just happened. What kind of person she was looking at? Who was really Takato Matsuki? She wasn't in front of a Tamer, or in front of a friend, she was in front of a mystery. A mystery she now wanted to reveal. The next one to talk was the same female judge from before.

"But if this is Miss Nonaka's real deck, then what about the one she has now?"

Everyone looked at Takato again, obviously interested in his answer. Takato seemed to enjoy the attention, and took his time to look at everybody in the room: all of the judges, one by one. The policemen and Mr. Sagara. Then, he looked at young Ken Sagara, who now seemed very frightened. He looked at Mr. Sato, who was obviously dying to now when had Takato ruined his seemingly perfect plan. However, he didn't bother to look at Rika.

"I was with Rika when Mr. Sato gave her back her belt, which already had the fake deck." He said, as he once again showed the false deck he had taken out of Rika's pocket.

"Right after he left us alone, I changed the false deck for my own deck, which is exactly like Rika's. Of course, Rika doesn't know when I did it. It cost me the most embarrassing moment of my life, but hey! It was for a good cause!" he said cheerfully, looking at Mr. Sagara, the man who had said that last phrase some weeks ago. Rika looked at Takato, a puzzled look on her face, as she reconstructed the events right after Mr. Sato had left the room. And realization dawned on her.

_Gogglehead…_

Just then, Takato looked at Rika again, and the look on her face told him everything. _I love you too much to do something like that to you, Rika…I respect you…as a Tamer, as a colleague, as a friend…and as the woman I love…_

"So, I guess the game is over. Why don't Rika and Ken begin their match, now that everything is cleared?" Takato said.

***A ton of hours later…***

Sunset was upon them. The day was almost over, and it was time for the boy and the girl to remember the events of that day. A whole plot to fix the Digimon Card Game contest had been revealed, and after that the tournament had continued without obstacles. Mr. Sagara and Mr. Sato ended up in the police station, and little Ken had followed him soon after losing his match against Rika. Daddy had a lot of explaining to do, after all. Takato had been praised by almost everyone in the coliseum, and he had gotten a pretty nice reward for his good job, a reward he was NOT going to share with Henry. Everything had turned out well, after all. Everything, but two things. One, Takato had been praised by everyone but the very person he wanted to the praised from. And second…

"I'm sorry about that second place, but you've got to admit Ryo's good. Very, VERY good." Takato said. Rika looked at him, and Takato was happy to see that she didn't have a sad expression. It was the same, cold Rika he had met, and fallen in love with.

"Yeah, he's good…" she replied, and Takato felt jealously growing in his heart. _Oh, great, now she'll probably admire him, and they'll start to hang around together, and…_

"You know what does that mean, don't you, Gogglehead?" Rika asked, interrupting Takato's thinking of possible ways to get rid of Ryo Akiyama, and he just shook his head. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well, it means I have to practice a lot harder. Everyday, if possible, and you are gonna help me, Goggles." She said with something that partially looked like a smirk.

_Wha…what!? Me!? When!? How!? Man! I'm confused…_

"M…me?" Takato asked shyly. Rika sighed in defeat.

"You can't get any slower, can you? Of course I'm talking about you! Who else am I going to ask, Dumb and Dumber!?"

Takato couldn't believe it. SHE was asking HIM to go to HER HOUSE, and to make thing better, EVERYDAY! It was like winning the big lottery of love. If that wasn't his chance of getting Rika to notice him, he didn't know which was.

"Well then!" he said cheerfully, which surprisingly released a chuckle from Rika. "Tomorrow at dusk, soldier! I'll make you a winner! We'll show that Ryo Akiyama who's the one and only Queen of Digimon Cards!"

"It's 'Digimon Queen', Goggles." She replied, smiling.

"Whatever." He replied, mimicking Rika's tone of voice. Before she could say anything, they stopped right in front of Rika's home. Takato and Rika exchanged a glance, and Rika made the question she wanted to ask.

"Why didn't you tell me, Gogglehead?" Takato just looked at her with his almond eyes and replied.

"You didn't need to know, Rika. And if I had told you, you would have looked for that poor kid Ken Sagara, and beat the crap out of him, even if he didn't have anything to do with the complot." Rika let go a laugh, and Takato smiled. He loved her even more when she laughed. In the few occasion she had actually laughed, that is.

"You're probably right, Gogglehead…since when do you know me that much?" Takato shrugged. The best answer he had for that was: "Since the moment I fell in love with you, and worshipped every one of your thoughts, your actions, and your feelings." However, he wasn't going to say THAT. Not yet, at least.

"Anyway…" Rika continued, and Takato noticed a faint shade of pink Rika was trying to hide (Of course, he won't say anything). "…thanks…for everything."

"Don't worry, Rika…I just did what I wanted to do." In that second, Takato saw how her blush transformed into a glare. A deadly glare, as a matter of fact.

"I hope that doesn't include touching my ass, Gogglehead, because if it does…"

"No, no, no! That was an accident, I swear! You were moving too much, Rika!"

"You were hugging me, Gogglehead! What else did you want me to do!?"

"Errm…hugging me back?"

"Aw, shut up, Gogglehead! Good bye…" she concluded as she opened the door. Takato couldn't help but smile, with the security of a strengthened bond between the two of them. One step closer to his final goal: Rika's heart. As he prepared to walk away, he slid his hands in his pocket, and touched something he had totally forgotten.

"Aw, crap!!"

Rika immediately looked back. It wasn't everyday that you hear Takato swearing loudly.

"What's wrong, Goggles?"

"I…I forgot to give you this…I was supposed to give it to you before the Contest…I thought it might have helped you…"

He handed her a Digimon Card, which she immediately hid in her pocket. Knowing that Rika wouldn't look at it, he sighed and started walking.

"Goodbye, Rika"

"Goodbye, Takato…and thanks…"

_There!_

Takato looked back…but Rika was already gone. Now he was sure she had said his name. However, he kept the "Yes!!!" for himself, as he walked away, with a big smile on his face. And thank God he didn't shout, because when Rika closed the door, she didn't walk inside the house. Instead, she leaned on the wooden door, and took out the card Takato had given her. Ignoring the design, she immediately moved her eyes to the description.

_"Opponent must draw 2 cards from their Online Deck at the beginning of every Attack Phase. Reduce 100 points from their score every time a Power Option card is drawn."_

Then, she looked at the design. A blue background, and a beautiful white shield, which looked very familiar. A concluding thought filled Rika's mind when she saw the symbol in the middle of it and the name of the card in big, yellow capital letters: "The Aegis".

_Not bad, Gogglehead…not bad at all…_

**THE END**

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Rika: *Grabs Daneel Rush and tries to strangle him* You made me punch my Gogglehead!!!!

Takato: *tries to help Rika* And I didn't get to kiss her!!!

DR: *Barely heard* But…you got…to touch her…

Rika: *Hits DR on the head* Yeah, and that, too! *Releases DR*

DR: *Deep breath* Air…air!!!! Ahem…don't tell me you didn't like it, Rika…

Rika, Takato: *Blush*

Takato: But I didn't get to kiss her!

DR: Gee, you're so impatient. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's so cool to write Tamer stories, I'm dying to do it again. So, expect another story VERY soon!

Rika: Well, at least we got some review, and the Rukato still gets to go on…

Takato: Yeah! Rukato rules, besides what I said to Jeri's… *blushes*

DR: Wasn't that a clone? *Rika shrugs*

**Next Chapter: (Wait a minute, wasn't this fanfic over? Maybe, but the Rukato has to continue!) A week after the events from Card-O-Rama!, Takato decides to look for the best gift for Rika, mostly because he ignores when is her birthday, but anyway…will a letter from his good friend Jeri help him find the perfect gift to get Rika's heart once and for all? Don't miss the beginning of Takato's amazing solo adventure, in the first chapter of the second story from the "Tamers Forever" series: "OmniTamer!"**


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